god-sized dreams

My original God’s timing story is the one of our years of infertility. Little did we know at the time that God was saving us from heartache. A tumor had taken up residence in my uterus which would have crushed any embryo who attached. I could never have asked or imagined a tumor would be removed and the very next year, to the month of the tumor removal, we welcomed the triplets into our home.

It’s happened over and over again I’m certain, but I’m recognizing it all the time now. These past two years are a series of His timing. From the small to the large. From the career to the family.

The summer of the book release, I tried and tried to find speaking engagements. Every request I made went unreturned or uninterested. When I stopped, He started. Every single speaking engagement I have accepted, over 20 in each 2014 and 2015, came through no work or connection of my own. I will get a random call, email, or LinkedIn request. This year, God helped me move from a period of accepting requests from a place of scarcity (if I say no, I’ll never be asked again) to a place of security and provision (if I say no, He keeps providing, and if the requests dry up, I’m also okay with what He has next).

His timing.

He works things out, down to the smallest detail, but only In His Time.

Today, I’m sharing some advice for the young dreamer who has lost her way or is just frustrated with the journey…

Third, and last for this little note, would you guard your heart (and mind?) (and body?)? I have watched with great heartbreak the destruction the enemy can wreak on the most promising young dreamers. The devil knows if he can take you out early, he can keep hundreds or thousands of people from knowing who God is because he dimmed your light. If you have run away, or if you are living with someone just to feel loved, or if you are suffering under addiction to drugs or alcohol, you can come back. You can return to those who love you and believe in you. You are welcome, day or night, in the arms of Father God.

Y’all, it’s been so nuts I forgot to run the tickler last week for part 4 of the book club I’m leading over at God-sized Dreams this spring.

If you missed last week’s on how to understand the role of your time and your decisions in the overwhelming busy you feel, then hop over here to catch up.

Here’s an excerpt from this week’s final installment the spring book club of Breaking Busy:

The lie of shame. Shame drives us into a never-ending cycle of trying to fix ourselves, to prove to the world and ourselves that we are not inherently flawed, that we have value.

The lie of not enough. Every day the Enemy lies to people, to tell you you’re not good enough, trying to distract them from their calling.

The lie of unworthiness. When we live life feeling unworthy, we wonder if we will ever be enough – smart enough, creative enough, thin enough, rich enough, spiritual enough. We stay stuck in cycles of busyness trying to please others to gain assurance and acceptance.

I hope you’ll join me over at God-sized Dreams today for the next installment of the spring book club I’m leading on Breaking Busy.

Here’s a sneak preview of today:

“My worries were born out of my need to be in control, my desire to know what was next in my life, and a lack of gratitude for the grace he had already given me… Worry is different than anxiety. Anxiety is a deep sense of doom rooted in a fear that is often a lie from the Enemy. Anxiety cripples us and leaves us feeling incapable of escaping our situation. Worry, on the other hand, is our attempt to control the future.” Breaking Busy, Chapter 5

We have to cut out the worry stopping us from doing what God is calling us to do (and not to do).

As many of you know, I write for God-sized Dreams and this spring I am leading the book club on Alli Worthington’s Breaking Busy!

I had the pleasure of serving on the launch team and reading this book over the holidays and gained so much insight for my busy life.

I would love for you all to follow along in the study – I’ll post links here every Thursday if you’d like to read the book with us.

Here’s a snippet from my discussion about Chapter 1…

Most of the time, I can’t envision what capacity is because I’m so far over it. Alli quotes to a study on p.21 which found women, especially those ages 30 to 60, reported being busier than men and were sacrificing sleep, recreation, hobbies, friends, and families! Yikes.

Because of the seasons in our lives (think care for kids, parents, or spouse, a new work assignment, a relocation, illness, etc.) we have to recognize we can’t always function at the same capacity. Alli helps us identify when we may be firing well over capacity. Some of the warning signs include:

The inability to control your emotion: Have you ever snapped or burst into tears when the circumstances didn’t warrant it? I’ve nearly fallen apart at a pass the ketchup simply because I couldn’t do one more thing.

Lack of self care: Even those of us that know how to eat right and get enough rest can find all that slipping away when we’re munching on a bag of chips at midnight to meet that deadline. We’ve got to take care of ourselves so we can continue to function effectively.

Self medicating/excess: Boy did this one hit close to home. In the busiest and most stressful of seasons, I reach for a cupcake or glass of wine instead of identifying the cause of my stress and restructuring. This is dangerous if you don’t reset before it becomes unhealthy or an addiction.

Won’t you join me for the rest of the insight from Breaking Busy over at God-sized Dreams?

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Come on in. I have a reservation just for you. I know life is busy. I would love for us to step out for a relaxing lunch but schedules don't always allow. So let's pop open that salad or sandwich sitting in front of our computers, and we'll have lunch right here. A few minutes is all we need to connect to community.